Bronzewing Birding Services: Change of Seasons

Myself and my good birding friend Matt Weeks spent yesterday morning (March 30th) around Chiltern Forest and Rutherglen. Birding was very good with White-throated Needletails, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike and late staying White-winged Triller and Olive-backed Oriole as highlights. It was also good to see the forest humming again with activity after recent rains seems to have livened up to forest. Being the end of March many altitudinal migrants from the higher ranges are making their way down to Chiltern and the surrounding plains. It was pleasing to see numbers of Grey Fantail, Golden Whistler, Yellow-faced Honyeater, Eastern Spinebill and a lone White-naped Honeyeater and Scarlet Robin as part of this movement. We looked hard for Flame Robins, none yet but I would expect to see them in a week or two.

Also good to see in the forest was the flowering of Grey Box and Mugga Ironbark in particular. We looked hard for Regent Honeyeater and Swifties (none yet) but this year is shaping up as a good one for flowering. Little and Noisy Friarbirds were common, as were other honeyeaters such as Fuscous, Black-chinned and Yellow-tufted. Little Lorikeets were also about in small numbers too. We also had a look at the Chiltern Valley Dams but they were very quiet, perhaps too much water around at the moment so birds have dispersed. Donchi Hill was a terrific spot late in the morning with Crested Shrike-tits and Jacky Winter up close while Diamond Firetails were calling in the background.

Around Rutherglen some nice sightings were White-backed Swallows and the resident pair of Brolga east of town. White-breasted Woodswallows are still hanging about at Lake King in the middle of town and Blue-faced Honeyeaters were here also. It was also interesting to see some swamps around Rutherglen have filled after recent good rains. Although not holding many species at the moment they should kick on later in the year. We finished off the morning chasing some waterbirds at the Wahgunyah and Corowa Sewage Ponds (pic below). Both were fairly quiet though a later staying Rufous Songlark near Wahgunyah was unusual and the ponds at Corowa had a good number of Blue-billed Duck and some Cattle Egrets which was a surprise.